Chapter 2

2.

"Leave now, or do I call the police and have them drag you out?"

My tone left no room for argument. Dirk glared at me, jaw clenched, and it took him a long moment to force out a single sentence.

"Miranda, are you really going to make an ugly scene over this?"

"This is a small thing."

I said it word by word. "It isn't small to me. And the divorce is happening."

Fergus broke into loud sobbing, wailing, "Uncle, I don't want to leave. I don't want to go."

Doris scooped Fergus up, aching over him, cooing "my darling," and yet when she looked at me it was with an expression that said she wanted to peel the skin off me.

"Miranda, I'll assume you're just throwing a fit because you're in a mood today. I'll take Fergus out to stay somewhere for the night."

"When I get back, I hope you'll have realized your mistake."

Dirk took Fergus from Doris's arms and walked out without looking back, without a single glance at his daughter.

Doris said, gloating, "A woman shouldn't push her luck. Otherwise, once you're divorced, who's going to want a secondhand woman like you?"

Then she planted her hands on her hips and called to me, "Miranda, go peel me an apple."

I gave her a cool glance and turned straight to Mr. Stanton. "Stanton, get their things packed within half an hour and throw them out."

Half an hour later, Doris and the three of them, luggage and all, were driven out of the mansion.

She stood at the door, seething, cursing at the top of her lungs.

"Miranda, you vicious daughter-in-law. You're nothing next to Isabel. Not one shred of respect for your elders."

"I'm calling my son right now. He'll deal with you."

I let out a cold laugh. "Even if he comes, he'll be shown the door too. My parents bought this mansion for me. Your son has no claim to any of it."

Her face went blank, but her mouth still wouldn't quit.

"Miranda, you throw your own mother-in-law out on the street, that's elder abuse. I'll expose you online."

"Go ahead." I asked her calmly, "Is Isabel really your daughter?"

She guiltily avoided our eyes, her voice shooting up all at once.

"Of course Isabel is my daughter! What are you being so paranoid about? My son treats you so well."

The way she gave herself away only made me colder inside.

"She'd better be your daughter. If she turns out to be something else, every one of you James people will pay for it."

I shut the mansion door, and the moment I turned, I contacted a professional DNA testing team to come to the mansion and collect samples.